White Noise: The Heat of Numbers in Our Daily Lives Essay Example
The text highlights the influence of numbers on our daily lives, with this fact being evident in the novel White Noise by Don DeLillo. The protagonist, Jack Gladney, has a fear of death which manifests itself in his everyday existence. In an attempt to find solace and understand his place in the world, Jack immerses himself in studying Hitler. The discovery of Dylar and the realization that his own death is inevitable profoundly impact Jack, leading him to take drastic measures. Throughout the story, the characters' desire for tangible possessions becomes apparent, serving as a means to validate their existence. This is exemplified when Jack takes German lessons from Howard Dunlop, who finds solace in studying meteorology after his mother's death. The weather, being universally tangible, brings him a sense of peace and security. How
...ever, Heinrich may disagree with this viewpoint, as expressed on page 24, as he believes that Howard's sociability has increased due to his interest in weather discussions.+
The focus of Jack on Hitler revolves around tangible objects, as mentioned on page 63: "Some people put on a uniform and feel bigger, stronger, and safer. It's in this area that my obsessions dwell." Chapter 17 presents a significant point to support this argument. A comment from a colleague ("You look so harmless") drives Jack to indulge in a shopping spree. His possessions offer him comfort (83-4).
Throughout the story, miscommunication prevails. Rumors circulate about men in Mylex suits and dead deer at the Kung Fu Palace. The protagonist himself describes his family as "the cradle of the world's misinformation." He further argues, "Not to know is a weapon of
survival (80-2)." This aligns with his earlier statement on page 15 regarding the question of who will die first. He philosophizes, "The question of dying becomes a wise reminder. It cures us of our innocence of the future. Simple things are doomed, or is that superstition?" Lack of full knowledge signifies innocence, while misinformation prevents a clear understanding of facts. The characters seek complexity to avoid doom and misunderstand intentionally. I will provide a summary later.
Disbelief is a contributing factor to the misunderstanding of factual knowledge. This is evident during the "Airborne Toxic Event" when the authorities change the name of the "feathery plume" to a more realistic "black billowing cloud" (113). Jack interprets this as a sign that the authorities are being more truthful about the situation. However, on the next page, he expresses his disbelief by stating that such events only happen to poor people living in exposed areas (114). This contradicts an earlier statement made by Babette on page 6, where she receives no argument when she mentions that she struggles to imagine death at a certain income level.
These two statements present opposing views. Jack strongly associates income level with unfavorable situations. Even when faced with the announcement to "evacuate all places of residence" due to a cloud of deadly chemicals, Jack and Babette fail to grasp the seriousness of the situation (119). Babette expresses her belief that there is plenty of time because if it were an emergency, they would have been told to hurry.
Jack finds comfort in living life guided by numbers. He describes his daughter's friends as "a
race of people with a seven-bit analog consciousness" (41). The characters themselves recognize that they are merely reduced to numbers. Babette further emphasizes this by stating that there is a difference between her husband's age of fifty and fifty-one (49).
"One is even, one is odd." As Jack reads the obituary section of the newspaper (99), he takes note of the age of the individuals: "Four years to go. Nine more years. Two years and I'm dead." The characters in this story are controlled by a singular system. If you do not have a number, then you simply do not exist. Jack heavily relies on numbers, much like the majority of us do in our everyday lives. Without a social security number, you cannot open a bank account. In college, you are identified by a number. We all rely on numbers. Jack, in particular, finds solace in his numbered order, especially when he checks his bank balance and sees that the numbers align on page 46. This brings him a sense of satisfaction and validation that goes beyond monetary value. However, his world starts crumbling when the numbers start becoming dissonant. During encounters with the SIMUVAC technician (140), his doctor (260), and a specialist (279), he learns that they are receiving bracketed numbers with stars of some kind. This disruption in harmony leaves Jack feeling unsettled and anxious. Early in the story, Jack contemplates the concept of death: "Maybe there is no death as we know it. Just documents changing hands (6)." Murray speaks about the intensity of city life (10). In the city, our individual identities become less distinguishable. We become mere numbers—numbers that contribute
to the heat and pressure of urban existence.The progress of society has provided us with numbers that track us in urban society. These numbers and the intensity of city life are synonymous. Some individuals recognize that they are just figures, as Murray tells Babette, "Men shout as they die, to be noticed, remembered for a second or two." This is why the convict whom Heinrich is playing chess with killed six people. The television instructed him to do so. He committed the act to be remembered. "Time was running out on him," as Heinrich stated.
Occasionally, we realize that the most effective way to be remembered is by acquiring numerous possessions. This is why shopping sprees, like the one Jack went on, make us feel better. They provide evidence of our existence. Eventually, discussions of existence lead to death. We do not desire extensive factual knowledge because it leads to death. We only wish to understand if we can fathom death. We resist acquiring excessive factual knowledge about anything else out of fear that it will evoke dread for death. The Dread, not death, is excruciating unless we can comprehend death.
This is why we turn to religion later in life. Faith brings comfort. We feel we have an understanding of death. The dread we once experienced is alleviated. People seek information only if it can contribute to a contented comprehension of death. Otherwise, we unquestioningly immerse ourselves in this labyrinth of numbers.The action of not overthinking helps to alleviate our minds from the fear of death.
